Kate Nash - Foundations

Not everyone kicks off their career by breaking their foot. However, this seems to be the case with 23 year old Kate Nash, who started writing original music after falling down a flight of stairs. With the infinite amount of time a housebound recovery will allow and a brand new “get well soon” electric guitar, Nash was able to focus solely on her music.

The result was the album Made of Bricks (2008), from which the single “Foundations” is taken. Whether it’s Nash’s Cockney accent, relatable lyrics, or catchy chorus, there’s something about this song that gets stuck inside your head.

Sway - The Perishers

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

I’m not going to lie – I found this gem while watching Veronica Mars reruns. But Veronica and Logan aren’t the only television couple who have not so secretly expressed their feelings to each other while this song played in the background. Swedish indie rock band The Perishers have been featured on One Tree Hill, Grey’s Anatomy, Greek, and Kyle XY, and have toured with notable performers like Sarah McLachlan.

According to the band’s Myspace page, they’ve “taken a bit of a break,” since they’ve stopped touring for their last album, Victorious (2007). However, lead singer Ola Kluft has been working on a solo project under the name A Lanky Swede. If you like this, I recommend listening to “Come Out of the Shade”.

Snails - The Format

Create a MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com
Formed in Peoria, Arizona in 2001 by Sam Means and Nate Ruess, this Indie band survived until February 4th, 2008. 'The Format' was a name chosen as a jab at the music, accompanied by the idea that their is a cookie-cutter 'format' for musicians. Their first single followed this example and took the title 'The First Single.' Never becoming mainstream, they kept with small record labels during their career after a bad experience with Elektra. This particular song  and it's album can only be bought online. The reason for the band's dissolution is unclear, but they have made it clear there were no hard feelings upon parting. Nate Ruess has started a new band called Fun and Sam Means has continued on by selling merchandise.
'Snails' is a departure from my usual listening. A friend unwittingly gave it me when she listed it among her top ten. The vocals are calm and upbeat, with whimsical, slightly silly lyrics. The acoustic sound is fits very well and gives the song a unique character. Their other songs are a tad faster than 'Snails,' but are just as clever. If you want something interesting, I urge you to watch the music video for The Compromise.

Is It Necessary to Lose? - Blaxy Girls

Create a playlist at MixPod.com
First of all, please ignore the video itself, and notice the song is in Romanian this time. Hailing from Romania, the Blaxy Girls are pop band formed in 2007 by their lead vocalist, who was 16 years old at the time.
You may recognize the strong, lilting voices and delicate instrumentals behind an electric guitar and drums. Only after research did I realize I'd heard them before. Their claim to fame is a song called 'If You Feel My Love,' which was an immediate hit in their home country. Like many European pop bands, they have operated off single songs, rather than albums. Their next most popular piece was the one I recognized- 'Dear Mama.' It was released for Mother's Day 2009 and met success internationally. The song was accompanied by a music video from MTV that shows a story of a rocky relationship between a mother and daughter that ends in tragedy.
If you liked this song, I highly recommend 'Dear Mama' next. Make sure you have a box of tissues near by!

Fated Person- Fujita Maiko

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

As you may have noticed, the lyrics you are listening to are not in English, but rather Japanese. Both languages are in the video above. 'Unmei no Hito' translated to'Fated Person' above, is by Fujita Maiko. She is about 25 years of age, having made her debut in 2004 with 'Koi ni Ochite' or 'Fall in Love.' To date, she has three albums out.
This song was delivered to me via the clever algorithms of Youtube, yet again. It was set as background music to a slideshow of pictures for a couple from a fictional series. Bored, and with nothing better to do, I clicked it, not expecting much. The slideshow was typical and unimpressive, however, the song caught me like the net I use against my fish when I have to clean their tank. I proceeded to minimize that horrid slideshow and play the song again and again, until I couldn't stand hearing it anymore.
The instrumentals are soft and merely compliment Fujita Maiko's pure voice. Using her vocals as a driving force, she manages to create a very compelling sound and draw the listener in. Upon examining the lyrics, especially for those who have a basic knowledge of the Japanese language, we find the lines cleverly and concisely put together. However, upon reading translation lyrics, this does not come across as strongly. The second most prominent instrument is the piano behind her voice. Simple and steady, it allows her vocal freedom and keeps a delicate emotional balance for the ears.
If this song was as appealing to you as it was to me, I recommend a follow up with Fujita's 'Kimi ga Yobu no Nara,' 'Tomadoi,' and 'Futari no Kare.'

If It Means a Lot to You- A Day To Remember

This is another piece of youtube gold. I found this song by sifting once more through my recommended videos.
A Day to Remember was formed in Ocala, Florida in 2003 by Tom Denny and Bobby Scruggs. Both had been in several bands before, but sensed unusual potential in their new partnership. Today, Scruggs has been replaced on drums by Alex Shellnut, and Denny has left the spotlight to be with family and his solo work. Although Denny still aids in song writing, ADTR (as they are known to acronym-loving fans) consists of Jeremy McKinnon (singer), Neil Westfall (guitar), Joshua Woodard (bass), and Scruggs. To Date, they have released five albums: And Their Name was Treason (2005), For Those Who Have Heart (2007), Old Record (2008), Homesick (2009), and What Seperates Me from You (2010). Their music is categorized as rock, but best known for it's songs mixing punk-pop and metalcore.
If you would like to sample some of these favorites, I recommend 'You Should Have Killed Me When You Had The Chance,' and 'Have Faith In Me.'

Louder Than Thunder - The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada was formed in 2005 in Dayton, Ohio. They are a metal-core Christian band.The band still is not part of MTV media we all know so well. As one band member posted on their official website,  "To any one thing we might be going "mainstream", you're sadly mistaken!" The Devil Wears Prada has several albums out: Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord (2006),  Plagues (2007), and With Roots Above and Branches Below (2009).
A lot of people will see the band's name and think back to movie/book by the same title. When asked about it, the band replied that they had taken the name indeed from the book. They believed a theme central to the storyline was the evils of materialism. As it turns out, the book had none of this theme in it. However, after acknowledgement of the initial misunderstanding, they kept the name with the justification that "It's the same concept as our lyrics 'emeralds hold no hope' and many others. What we believe it to mean is that possessions don't matter at all and someday everyone will realize that this is true. When standing before God, he won't care about your sweet Prada scarf or Gucci shoes or whatever. It's a Christian reasoning for the name, we didn't name it to attempt at being fashionable or whatever, " given by Micheal Hranica.
'Louder Than Thunder' is a departure from their typical metal sound in order to highlight their more melodic talents. Anyone who says that scream vocalists only do so because they can't sing, has just been proven wrong. If you liked this song, and are looking for something heavier, I suggest 'Hey John, What's Your Name Again?'

Stereophonics - Dakota

The Welsh rock band Stereophonics is relatively well known in the UK. The band was formed in 1992 in Cwmaman, Wales and has since then released seven studio albums. Five of those have topped the UK Album Charts. Their first album, Word Gets Around, charted in at number six almost overnight. Over the years, the band has earned ten top-ten singles. The song “Dakota” made it to number one in 2005.

“Dakota” is different from the band’s usual sound. This eighties influenced track is meant to bring you back to carefree summer days of just “laying back, head in the grass”. It’s about remembering first love and basking in the memories of it – five minutes of pure nostalgia.

EELS - P.S. You Rock My World

EELS was formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, otherwise known as E. Other members of this American rock band rotate frequently, whether it be in the studio or on the stage.

The song “P.S. You Rock My World” is from Electro Shock Blues, EELS’ second studio album. As opposed to their first album, Electro Shock Blues focused mainly on E’s personal life. It was a sort of tribute to his family: his sister, who committed suicide after EELS’ first album was released, his mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer, and his father, who E had found dead of a heart attack when he was nineteen. The album is definitely heartbreaking, cynical, mournful, creative. But more importantly, it’s one man’s way of learning to deal with disease and death. “P.S.” is the last song on the album - the realization that, in spite of everything, life goes on.

Tegan and Sara - The Con

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Tegan and Sara is an indie Canadian rock band formed by twin sisters Tegan Quin and Sara Quin. The two are known for their interchanging vocals and guitar playing, resulting in a completely unique folk-rock sound.  The duo grew up playing music together, learning to play piano at age eight and eventually switching to acoustic guitars at age fifteen. From there, they began to write their own songs. At age seventeen, they won Calgary’s Garage Warz and recorded Yellow Demo, using the studio time they had been given as a prize from the competition. Since then, Tegan and Sara have produced six albums. Their latest album, Sainthood, was released in October of 2009.

The track “The Con” was one of the singles taken from their fifth studio album under the same name. It’s catchy and upbeat, exactly what a single should be. It’s the kind of gem meant to draw fans old and new into an album that’s full of them.

Within Temptation (feat. Keith Caputo): What Have You Done

Within Temptation was founded in 1996 by Sharon den Adel (vocals) and Robert Westerholt (guitar). The two are now married and have just had their second child. As a band, they have been categorized as gothic rock, gothic metal, and symphonic rock. Despite this, Within Temptation resents the idea of their music being considered anything other than hard rock.
The Dutch band remained underground until 2001 when 'Ice Queen' hit the charts from their 2000 album, Mother Earth. Their next two albums, The Silent Force (2004) and The Heart of Everything (2008), debuted as number 1 on the Dutch charts. In America, 'All I Need' (The Heart of Everything) was featured on the Vampire Diaries, and Truth Beneath the Rose was used in the preview for The Tudors. The song I featured here is available on Guitar Hero: World Tour. Within Temptation plans to release their next album in March of 2011, titled The Unforgiving, in which all songs are based on a comic series authored by Steven O’Connell and drawn by Romano Molenaar.
This particular song also has vocals by Keith Caputo. He is known for shocking lyrics dealing with hard truths. Raised by two parents addicted to heroine, he had a painful childhood and draws on it in his music. Despite this, many of his songs are also seen as hopeful.In one of his most referenced quotes, Caputo says, “From my own feelings of displacement, dissatisfaction and yearning comes a vast sea of compassion." As 'What Have You Done' plays through, the dialogue and instruments clearly display this internal struggle for balance between two opposite feelings. The song comes from their album The Heart of Everything.

The Temper Trap:Fader

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Fader is the third single from The Temper Trap's first album, Conditions. The Temper Trap is a band from Melbourne, Australia. You might know their smash-hit first single, Sweet Disposition. Here in the U.S. the band is signed to Glassnote Records, a record label who's current roster also consists of bands such as Mumford & Sons and Phoenix. The Temper Trap first attracted attention after playing sold out shows in London in 2008, and then at South by Southwest in 2009. Their debut album, Conditions, was released June 19, 2009 to rave reviews. In July of 2010, the band estimated that they would release their second album sometime late this year.

1000 ft Krutch- Phenomenon

Create a MySpace Playlist at MixPod.com

Thousand Foot Krutch is a Canadian Christian rock band formed in 1997 and was an evolution of Oddball. They have been quite prolific, putting out seven albums. Their band name was chosen when they decided to base their music on their religious beliefs. Thousand Foot Krutch's newest album was released in 2009 and titled Welcome to the Masquerade. The idea for the album came from a public domain poem written in 1966, particularly the lines "Don't be fooled by the face I wear, for I wear a mask." The album was meant to reach beneath their listener's surfaces and into their hearts with strong, echoing chords and soft acoustic pieces as well.
'Phenomenon' was another YouTube discovery of mine as I surfed countless poorly made AMVs. The song was the title of their 2003-2004 album. Phenomenon was one of the all-time best selling albums of Tooth and Nail Records. Gavin Brown, who has also worked with Three Days Grace, helped produce 'Everyone Like Me,' which was also on Phenomenon. 'Phenomenon' in particular, was incredibly catchy and lifted my spirits. The lyrics cover topics that couldn't be farther from my own experience, but that was exactly what drew me into the song. It was a place I wanted to be; I could easily go their by popping in my headphones. If you like this song, I would highly recommend 'Fire it Up' as the next song on your playlist.

The Rasmus-In the Shadows

Create a MySpace Playlist at MixPod.com

The Rasmus is a Finnish rock band formed in 1994. Prior to the release of their 4th album, Into (2001), they added 'the' in front of their band name to distinguish themselves from a DJ by the same name. The band consists of four high school friends. They have since returned to their school to put on a performance and released their latest album in 2008, Black Roses. However, it was their 2003 release that gained them international notoriety, Dead Letters, which contained this song, 'In the Shadows.'
Whoever said that the YouTube cpu didn't have taste lied to you. Most of the time I brush off the inconceivably annoying module of recommended videos. This was a moment of exception. The song was attached to an AMV (anime music video) that took forever to load, and wasn't all too well done. And at risk of being cliche, I will say it was worth it. This was the not entirely downbeat rock song I've been craving. It's catchy, something I can sing with or just listen to, and survives the test of listening-to-it-three-times-in a-row. I only hope you can get as much enjoyment out of this song as I have.

Motion City Soundtrack: Fell In Love Without You

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

A leading band in the punk-pop genre, Motion City Soundtrack includes guitarist Joshua Cain, drummer Tony Thaxton, lead singer & guitarist Justin Pierre, Jesse Johnson on the moog (moog synthesizers are electronic musical instruments that throw together a guitar, keyboard, and a drum set all in one...still confused...look it up), and bassist Matthew Taylor. After their Minneapolis high school graduation in 1999, Pierre and Cain formed their band. While touring through Pennsylvania, Motion City Soundtrack met Thaxton and Taylor from their own band, Submerge. The two decided to leave their hometown, Richmond, Virginia, to join Motion City Soundtrack and the group later grabbed Jesse Johnson. The band's punk-splattered debut, I Am The Movie, was released in the summer of 2003. They joined blink-182 on a tour in Europe and Japan and blink's bassist, Mark Hoppus, loved the band and produced a more pop influenced album, Commit This to Memory, in 2005. Motion City Soundtrack spent that summer on Warped Tour. Two years later, the completed product, Even If It Kills Me, was released and cracked the Top 20 on its first week. "Fell in Love Without You" was featured on Gossip Girl that same year. Their latest album was released last June.

Christina Perri: Jar of Hearts

Create a playlist at MixPod.com
Christina Perri, no relation to Katy Perry, was born and raised in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. She moved to Los Angeles at age 21 and was married within that year, but divorced 18 months later. She then returned home to Pennsylvania by the end of 2009. During her time home she wrote "Jar of Hearts", then moved back to L.A. She recorded the song and it was featured on So You Think You Can Dance on June 30, 2010. Following the show, "Jar of Hearts" sold 48,000 digital copies, hitting #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #28 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs. In a month it sold over 100,000 copies. Her music video for the song was displayed on the VH1 top 20 music video countdown. Christina signed a record deal with Atlantic Records on July 21, 2010. Her 5 single EP, The Ocean Way Sessions, was released on November 9, 2010.

Beirut:Nantes

Create a playlist at MixPod.com
Beirut was founded by Zachary Francis Condon, a Santa Fe, New Mexico native. It was first created as a solo act, and then expanded into a full fledged band in 2006. The Flying Club Cup, released in October of 2007, is Beirut’s second album. It’s heavily influence by French music and culture because of Condon’s interest in French chanson during its recording. He was inspired by Jacques Brel, a French-speaking Belgian singer. Parts of The Flying Club Cup were recorded by Condon in his bedroom, but others were recorded with the full band, resulting in a more live sound.